Larry Siedentop

Inventing the Individual: The Origins of Western Liberalism

(In Spanish further down)

The book is entertaining only at times, a few times. It makes a long and tedious examination of Europe's history from pagan and classical Antiquity to the Christian era, the church schisms, the Reformation and the birth of the nationalities. It deals matters of philosophy as well as history, never well explained, not to the layman at least, and whose extension and even presence are not always well justified.

In the last chapter and in the epilogue we do have, finally, a more personal view of the story. The author summarizes the whole book and reveals his intention and his own positioning today in regards to the issues discussed, the issue discussed being the health of Western Liberalism:

by identifying secularism with non-belief, with indifference and materialism, it deprives Europe of moral authority, playing into the hands of those who are only too anxious to portray Europe as decadent and without conviction (…) Secularism is Christianity's gift to the world (…) Secularism does not mean non-belief or indifference.

According to the author in this epilogue Western Liberalism is in danger from within and from without. From within because the peoples have developed strong anti-Christian stances without realizing that they are attacking their own foundations of liberty, since -as the author has tried to explain throughout the book- the reason of being of our Western civilization has been our Greek and Roman culture, Roman Law, and Christianity. The author goes on to propose his own solution to the problem: the “born-again Christians” from America, whom he calls fundamentalists, and the anti-Christians from Europe (I assume it's the Left) must give up their anti-abortion and anti-homosexual stances. Bravo! And why doesn't he give up his? In order to face the external enemy, Islam, that specially non-secular form of society that is incubating more and more into our European territories, this author argues that once a consensus has been reached (to the detriment of the “born-again Christians”) it will be much easier to face, as a united Europe, the pressures and challenges from non-Liberal societies, those Islamic countries where definitely there has been -and the still isn't- no tradition of individual liberty or equality under law.

I have to admit that my candidness didn't allow me to see where the author was coming to until well advanced my read of the book. Traditional parties all over Europe should come to a consensus within our borders to become stronger towards our rivals and potential aggressors. In order to protect our Liberal traditions and stop the wear and tear of our Liberal values within our own societies we must indoctrinate our peoples on how cool those values are, getting rid of those dissident voices, and sticking to “fundamentals” other than just anti-abortion or anti-homosexuality. Let's find a middle-ground, he seems to say. Let's stick together in defense of individual liberty as the base of an egalitarian justice for man and woman. To those Islamic counties we shall say that Secularism does not mean non-belief or indifference on religious issues. This is the motto to go under. Well, to believe the author one does have to use some faith. Since today secularism is indeed the tune played by the non-believers and the indifferents. Both this types happen to be the great majority of the population in Europe. Among those who would rather commit suicide rather than live without their State subsidy and those whose goal in life is basically to spend their annual alcoholic-sexual holiday in Majorca (for Spaniards it would be their craze for all kinds of stupid-but-traditional summer parties) there will be no one left to make a stand for individual liberty and our Western Liberal values anywhere in Europe. They wouldn't care for all the historical arguments the author has tried to put forth throughout his book. On the contrary, those who would care, who would be willing to make a stand would be, indeed, those whom the author has told to shut up: the “born-again Christians”, those trouble-makers and mavericks, those anti-abortion and anti-homosexuality people. What a bad PR for our Western congeniality. Consensus is the solution, argues the author. And he asks:

What will happen to its 'civil war' now that Europe is faced with the challenge of Islam?

The 'civil war' being, according to the author, the bad PR between the opposing forces of -on the one side- those anti-Christians and anti-anything-that-sounds-religious-or-Western and the Christian fundamentalists, the anti-abortion and anti-homosexuality. It's that simple. These poor born-again Christians are, you have to believe him, the real cause of Europe's threat of extinction. Why can't they just be cool as everybody else? See, we in Europe don't care about homosexuals going to jail in Cuba or Syria; why should we care for homosexuals here? We in Europe don't care for women's rights being trampled in Saudi Arabia or Iran; why should be make a fuss about abortion here? It's just not cool, dude! Let's all make love and not war; let's be cool and stand together, and thus we shall save Western Civilization.

by identifying secularism with non-belief, with indifference and materialism, it deprives Europe of moral authority, playing into the hands of those who are only too anxious to portray Europe as decadent and without conviction (…) Secularism is Christianity's gift to the world (…) Secularism does not mean non-belief or indifference.

“Slavery, protection, and monopoly find defenders, not only in those who profit by them, but in those who suffer by them.”

Frédéric Bastiat

On the true nature of the Castro Revolution in Cuba: "The revolution was a cover for committing atrocities without the slightest vestige of guilt ... we were young and irresponsible. We were pirates. We formed our own caste ... we belonged to and believed in nothing -no religion, no flag, no morality or principle. It's fortunate we didn't win, because if we had, we would have drowned the continent in barbarism."